Spending a full seven mornings in a row at Squaw Creek NWR for a personal project, proved better than I'd hoped.

     I'll admit, I didn't always make sunrise. Life has a way of taking advantage sometimes. One morning I made an extra effort as it presented itself with ideal conditions for sunrise photography- as seen above. This March sunrise on Mallard Marsh with Canada Geese on the water was full of gorgeous color and sun rays. Even with leafless trees, it's pleasant to look at. I wanted the full color gamut and the sun's rays. It took a couple exposures to get it right, but I settled on: 1/500, f 6.3 and my favorite ISO 100. I could have jumped out, set up a tripod and bracketed exposures to pull out more detail in the woods, but why? I would've disturbed the geese and other waterfowl surely hiding in the marsh grasses, the trees really aren't as interesting as the sky and would it change the story? Not really. Instead, I shot handheld from my vehicle.

   Not every day was sunny, in fact, we had a myriad of changes for the week, warm/rain, warm/sun, cold/wind, etc....you get the idea. Without sun, it's not possible to create those super sharp images that I love to make. So, I had to jump outside my box and find new ways to look at things. Enter the Lensbaby lens and Edge 80 optic.

   I haven't really spent enough time with this little investment, so I pulled it out for one day at the refuge. It really was quite fun to create some dreamy and scenes that vary from my norm. The Edge 80 optic gives a plane or line of sharp focus with the width defined by aperture chosen on the optic itself. The out-of-focus areas are smooth and a little stretched making for some fascinating landscapes.

   I experimented with the Edge 80 effects on snow goose flight and found that I liked specific angled effects. In truth I was pleased with  some creative and unique images. I had originally purchased the Lensbaby with Double Glass optic for portrait and macro work, but was enamored with what I was seeing out of the Edge 80 optic so added it to my tool bag. It has a big learning curve and I was slow to work with it, but I'm starting to find unique uses for it- even in my nature photography on a bigger scale. This picture is currently my header on Facebook. I liked it that much. 

    I couldn't help but go back to focusing on sharpness the days with great sunlight. One warm day, the snows were in constant vortex, a swirling tornado of snow geese. I'd photograph, then watch, then go back to photographing. Some times it's good just to watch. 

   There's really nothing like sitting and watching these birds come in or take off. When the mood sets they may all take flight creating a virtual wall of geese- which I've photographed numerous times. This day the birds just looked relaxed-  as if they had nothing more to do than enjoy a twirl in the air. It probably lasted 20-30 minutes before they finally settled back to the water.

   This very same day I had a great opportunity with the resident Sandhill cranes. Unfortunately, I still have failures. They were only a few yards away and I shot with two different lenses and two different cameras. The cranes stuck around for a minute and a half before deciding to move on. I was so excited about these images. However, in review, they were all soft. I was so disappointed. My older cameras sometimes have to search too much in low contrast scenes. Grey birds with blue grey colored water in the background doesn't contribute a lot of contrast. Their heads, which I was trying to focus on, move in a sort of jerky motion. Those are my excuses. In truth, I could have done better. 

   They are still usable images, though, with limitations.

   They are gorgeous birds. They've been hanging out for at least the last week and it is wonderful that want to stay here at the refuge- a little off the beaten path. I've been able to spot them regularly and even seen them breeding. I hope I have another opportunity to shoot them up close. I really like sharp images and these don't make the grade. Next time, I hope my excitement and enthusiasm doesn't take hold that I'm more careful and I get what I want.

  On the positive side, I have been working towards a nice portrait of a Rough Legged Hawk. I've been observing them for a while hoping for some good opportunities. I still think for me, this is the shot of the week. It's sharp for a flight picture with the equipment I have and there is eye contact, which is one of the big things I look for. Shot with a Canon 40D, 300 mm F4 L IS handheld @ 1/800, f4, ISO 100. 

   Can't beat that, really. I 'm happy, it was worth the whole week of mornings just for this picture.